Neck band holder for table napkins and the like



Dec. 23, 1958 c. B. GAMBLE 2,865,069

NECK BAND HOLDER FOR TABLE NAPKINS AND THE LIKE Filed May 4, 1956 INVENTOR. 61$ ar/ea B. Gam/e W fgizz i lffarneys NECK BAND HGLDER FOR TABLE NAPKINS AND THE LIKE Charles B. Gamble, Birmingham, Ala.

Application May 4, 1956, Serial No. 582,857

1 Claim. (Cl. 24--9) My invention relates to a disposable article which may be used to support a table napkin in protective position upon the upper part of a persons body.

As is well known, it is customary on commercial air lines to serve passengers with food, the food generally being served upon a tray held in the lap. It is highly desirable to protect the persons clothing when consuming food in such manner. Heretofore it has been proposed to provide in a corner of cloth napkins and the like a buttonhole which the user fastens over a button on the clothing to hold the napkin in place. The objection to this lies in the fact that the napkin is suspended from its corner, thus reducing the area of protection afforded to the wearers person. It is more economical, assuming there be some way properly to hold them in place, for airlines and similar operators to use paper napkins instead of cloth ones.

My invention is particularly directed to a very simple yet effective neckband which may be carried by the user or given to him in folded position, and which by a very simple pull apart operation may be looped about the neck in position for the ends thereof to be stuck to a napkin, thus to hold the napkin, whether cloth or paper, in fully protective position on the upper part of the body.

More particularly my invention contemplates a ribhon-like strip of flexible material such as thin polyethylene plastic, paper or the like, having-areas on a common side of the ribbon which are treated with a normally tacky adhesive of any of the well known dry types. The device is furnished to the user with these areas stuck to the opposite ends of the ribbon, the areas being removed from the ends of the ribbon sufiiciently that the ends may be pulled apart. As a modification I may provide holes near the ends of the ribbon and may provide the tack surfaces by sticking pieces of ordinary adhesive tape to a commercial kind on a common side of the ribbon over the holes, whereby the tacky surfaces of the tape are accessible through the holes both for sticking the ends together and for engaging the napkin.

A further and more general object of my invention is to provide an article of the character designated which is extremely simple of manufacture, which may be manufactured by mass production methods and which may be supplied to the user in folded form, permitting the ends to be grasped between the thumb and forefinger on each hand for pulling the same apart and which may be placed around the neck and conveniently stuck to spaced parts of a paper or cloth napkin, thus to hold it in place.

An article illustrating features of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view showing the article in the position that it occupies when placed about a persons neck and with a napkin attached to the adhesive carrying ends;

Fig. 2 is a view, partly broken away, showing the article with the ends stuck together and partially folded;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the article in the position of Fig. 2;

States Patent F 2,865,069 Patented Dec. 23, 1958 Fig. 4 is a fragmental plan view of the article partly broken away and showing the location of the tacky adhesive areas;

-Fig. 5 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, and showing a modified form of my invention;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the modified form partly broken away; and, i

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail fragmental sectional view taken generally along line VII-VII of Fig. 6.

'Referring now to the drawings for a better under standing of my invention and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, my improved article comprises a length of ribbon-like flexible material indicated generally by the numeral 10. While various kinds of materials will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art I have found that a ribbon of material such as thin polyethylene plastic of a length that when placed around the neck of a user will support the napkin in the right place is entirely satisfactory. As shown in Fig. 1 the ends of the strip are secured as will be explained to a napkin 11, the material accommodating itself in the portion 12 to the neck of the user.

In Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that the article may be supplied to the user looped upon itself,-and if desired, further folded, to form a compact package. As shown in Fig. 4 near the ends I provide areas indicated at 13 and 14 which are coated with an adhesive of the tacky, dry type used in the making of adhesive tape. It will be noted that one of the areas, for instance area 13, is closer to the adjacent end of the length of material 10 than is the other area 14. Thus, when the ends of the tape are brought together and the areas 13 and 14 are brought alongside each other it will be seen that the tacky surfaces stick to the tape and leave overhanging ends 10a and 10b, which are unsecured or free. Each tacky surface thus is stuck to and protected by an uncoated area of the tape. The ends 10a and 10b are thus quite easily separated since one of them is longer than the other and since these may be grasped between the thumb and forefinger of each hand, thus to separate the adhering areas.

From the foregoing the method of making and using my improved article may be readily understood. As stated, the areas 13 and 14 are coated with some tacky material which has the capacity of adhering to the ribbon and which also, when pulled apart, will adhere to materials such as paper, cloth and the like. With the ends stuck together as in Figs. 2 and 3, and further folded if desired, the user grasps the ends 10a and 10b between the thumb and forefinger of each hand and pulls the adhering areas apart. By flipping the device over the head the same contacts the back of the neck with the ends in the correct position to be stuck onto the napkin 11, thus to support the napkin on the front of the body at the most favorable protective position. When the user is through with the article it is quite easy to unstick'it from the napkin if the napkin be a cloth one and to throw it away, or, if the napkin be a paper one either to tear the napkin or simply to pull one of the ends off and dispose of the ribbon of material along with the napkin.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 I show a slightly modified form of my invention. In this instance the ribbon of material 16 is provided adjacent its ends with holes 17 and 18. On a common side of the ribbon I glue lengths of tape 19 and 21 to span the holes 17 and 18. The tape is of such type that the inner surface thereof carries the tacky material.

The use of the modified form of my invention is identical with the one already described. It will be seen that the holes 17 and 18 are located at different distances from the respective ends of the ribbon 16 so that one of 3. the ends overhangs as did the end 10a relative to the end 1011. The tacky surfaces of the tape sections 19 and 21 adhere to the ribbon when pressed thereto and yet, when pulled apart, readily adhere to the cloth or paper napkin as has been explained.

From the foregoing it will apparent that I have devised an improved article which is especially adapted for use in holding a table napkin in protective position about a persons body. My invention finds utility in the feeding of children, invalids, airplane passengers, and the like. Further, the article may be packagedin individual packages with suitable advertising thereon or, if desired, advertising matter may be printed directly on the ribbon itself. At all events, it will be seen that the tacky ends are protected against sticking to undesired surfaces or objects by having them' stuck to the ribbon prior to using the article. It will alsobe readily appreciated that the invention is adapted for production by mass production methods.

While I have shownmy invention in but two forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set'forth in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

As an article of manufacture, an elongated ribbon of flexible material adopted to serve as a neck band for holding a table napkin in place on the upper part of a persons body, said ribbon having a circular hole extending therethrough adjacent each end thereof, a separate piece of adhesive having a tacky area on one side thereof adhesively secured to the ribbon over each of the holes with the tacky areas facing the holes, the separate pieces of adhesive being generally square and of substantially the same width as the ribbon and the ribbon being folded intermediate its length with each of said tacky areas adhesively securing the ends of the ribbon together through the holes thereby protecting the tacky areas until used on the napkin and holding the ends of the ribbon together, and projecting free ends on the ribbon beyond said holes forming pull tabs by means of which the ends may be separated for placing the ribbon about a persons neck whereby the tacky areas may be separated from the adjacent ends of the ribbon and stuck to a napkin, one of said free ends extending beyond the other free end so *that said ends may be easily grasped for separating same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,009,831 Yerzley July 30, 1935 2,142,194 Karfiol Jan. 3, 1939 2,622,246 Hufnagel Dec. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 28,295 Great Britain 1909 345,066 Great Britain Mar. 19, 1931 

